Wireless communications occur when two devices communicate with each other by means of electromagnetic radio frequency (RF) emissions between each other through a wireless propagation medium or channel. By its nature, a wireless channel does not need a physical wired connection other than an antenna that couples the communicating devices together by means of the wireless channel. Therefore, a wireless channel is considered open, potentially allowing other devices to attempt to communicate with a wireless device. Wireless communication systems are integral to many devices that utilize external communications, and wireless communications between devices and the internet are becoming increasingly prevalent in many areas. The Internet of Things (IoT), which connects data communications systems to the internet, is becoming an increasingly important architecture for devices to communicate by way of the internet. Many internet-connected devices utilize wireless communications to communicate with a host, base station, or other node. The Wireless Avionics Intra Communication (WAIC) system is being used to interconnect avionics systems and components aboard aircraft. Wireless communication has many advantages, which may include mobility, flexibility, scalability, ease of installation and use, and lower cost. In the case of the WAIC system, additional advantages may include reduced weight (as a result of eliminating cables), and an associated increase in fuel efficiency.
Among the disadvantages of wireless communication, security vulnerability may be one of the most significant. By its very nature, wireless communications are subject to the intrusion of a hostile node other than the trusted node. Spoofing is a term used to describe the process of a bad actor using a hostile base station to mimic the trusted node, thereby inducing a wirelessly-connected device to communicate with the bad actor. By spoofing a device into communicating with a hostile node, the bad actor may gain access to and/or control of the connected device. Because internet-connected devices may be utilized in a multitude of applications, including chemical and industrial processes, security, power generation and distribution, transportation, and health care, a bad actor may be able to inflict unwanted and potentially catastrophic actions in taking control of a connected device.
A typical solution to avoiding spoofing involves the use of encryption, and various methods of encryption have been developed and applied to wireless communications systems. Depending on the level of encryption being deployed in a typical system, either the data payload and/or other key components of a data packet may be encrypted. A particular encryption protocol is called the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES). Using AES, a secure public/private key exchange mechanism is instituted to protect the encryption and decryption keys that are used. A bad actor would need to obtain the private key to compromise an encryption method, thereby obtaining control of the wireless device. Encryption keys may be compromised by a number of ways, including a brute force attack in which different key codes are repeatedly tested to gain entry. The development of longer encryption keys, while offering a potential solution, may have the downside of adding to the overhead used to transmit a data packet, thereby consuming additional RF spectrum and/or requiring additional computational overhead, and accordingly, greater electrical power. Therefore, the continued use of greater encryption with longer encryption keys to prevent spoofing of a wireless device, while providing a solution, may have several disadvantages.